


The Rescue

by cocoabeaniebag



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Blood, Broken Heart, M/M, Original Character Death(s), Saddness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-16
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-08-09 02:09:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7782769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cocoabeaniebag/pseuds/cocoabeaniebag
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A battle to save prisoners from the galra ends badly for one red paladin and his time is running out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rescue

Flying through space the paladins followed the castle towards their destination. A prisoner’s ship was ahead of them and gaining speed. 

“Alright everyone you remember the plan?” Shiro announced through the communicator. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Lance frowned and clung to the controls tighter. He glared at the ship and exhaled sharply. 

“Lets get in, grab Keith and get out.” 

Inside the ship Keith was on the floor of a cell with other prisoners. His breathing became labored but he stayed awake knowing if he went to sleep it’d be the end. He winced when a cough shook his body causing his wounds to shift. He left arm was broken and mangled at his side bleeding. His chest and side was ripped apart. He groaned with every breath and when an alien brushed by him moving him slightly Keith gasped in pain. 

“He’s been like this for a long time.” Whispered an alien full of concern. 

“I was sure he’d be dead now…its been a sun rotation.” another whispered. A small alien approached Keith and crouched by his head. Keith looked at the alien with question. 

“What can we do to help you…” she whispered in a hushed voice. Keith swallowed dryly. He was convincing himself for a long time he’d be ok, that he’d live and he’d see his friends again. Keith took a sharp in take of breath and gritted his teeth. He coughed harder almost choking on the mixture of mucus and blood. 

“Keep me awake. In any way you can.” Keith moaned in a raspy whisper. The small alien reached out and touched his injured arm gently. She frowned at him and just continued to stay close by. 

Off the ship Lance didn’t remove his eyes from the ship. He glared at it and his vision began to get blurry. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes tightly going back to the failed prisoner rescue mission yesterday night. He bowed his head but the images kept coming in. 

Lance and Keith were partnered to take out as many troops as possible while Shiro led Pidge and Hunk around the ship’s hallways. They took on heavy fire and were ambushed. Lance remembered feeling very scared and then suddenly Keith jumped in front of him fully taking the bullets and even a thrown blade. Lance screamed and reached out to Keith grabbing him and hugged him from behind to keep him from falling forward. He kept his arms around him and dragged him behind a corner holding onto him tightly. 

“You idiot whats wrong with you!” Lance screamed. He turned Keith over onto his back which caused the paladin to groan in pain. Lance started sweating and shaking not knowing which hole to cover or where the bleeding was coming through the heaviest. He heard foot steps heading their way and began to panic. 

“Lance…r-run!” Keith screamed. Lance shook his head and leaned over Keith. He held up his gun and was attempting to use his body to shield Keith from the galra. Keith gasped in pain and grabbed Lance’s arm. 

“R-run! Get away from here!” he screamed. Lance closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. He opened his eyes and they were flooding with tears. 

“I can’t leave you!” Lance started shooting any galra that came close. One got close enough to stab Lance in the arm but the blue paladin swung with the other making contact with the soldier’s face. After he hit the floor Lance shot him dead. Lance wrapped his hand around his wound tightly and more foot steps were heard running towards their direction. 

“Keith..what…what do we do.” Lance positioned himself in front of the red paladin but he was shaking. He’s been close to death but it wasn’t while awake feeling the pain. 

“Run! Get out of here!” Keith screamed grabbing Lance’s shirt and pulling him close. . 

“No!” Lance reached down and swung Keith’s body onto his back. Lance held his arm and leg while Keith clung to Lance’s torso.

“There they are! After them!” soldiers began to charge at them full speed. Lance was growing tired and his arm was in a lot of pain. He forced himself to run faster willing himself to reach Blue before it was too late.

Lance dodged bullets and cut a corner sharply was was ambushed by a tackle from one of the soldiers. They went flying to the floor. Lance hit the wall and Keith landed next to him. The soldier stood up and towered over them. He smiled and stomped his foot down on Keith’s arm effectively breaking it. Keith screamed and Lance launched himself at the soldier. 

“Don’t touch him!” Lance screamed. The solider smirked, grabbed Lance by the neck and held him high. He squeezed tightly and the blue paladin was gasping for air. 

“Lance!” Keith screamed, taking out his bayard and using the remaining strength he had to stab the soldier’s leg making the sword go completely through the flesh and stick out the other end. Lance landed on the floor gasping for air as the soldier fell writhing in pain. 

Lance looked at Keith and reached out to him. Keith had his head on the floor and he was bleeding out. The blue paladin attempted to reach out to him but Keith spoke in a raspy whisper. 

“Go…” 

Alarms went off and the lights started to flash. Lance got up and reached Keith leaning over hime to try to protect him from whatever was coming. 

“We gotta go guys!” Shiro screamed over the communicator. 

“Shiro! Shiro Keith’s hurt! I need help getting him out!” Lance shouted. Keith’s breathing began to get labored and Lance began to panic again. He brushed Keith’s bangs away from his eyes trying to remove some of the sweat and blood from his face. 

“Where are you!” Hunk screamed and Lance would hear weapons being fired. Lance looked around and saw a label saying “Holding Cell: East Wing” 

“We’re at the holding cell! East wing!” 

“You’re on the opposite side of the ship! Are you sure you can’t move him and meet us halfway?” Pidge screamed. 

“Negative! I need help! He’s bleeding badly!” 

“Keith can you hear me? What is your status!” Shiro screamed. Lance looked at Keith hearing the words Shiro had just screamed. Keith looked at Lance and pressed the mic button on his helmet. 

“Lost cause. Get Lance out of here.” 

“What! Thats not true!” Lance screamed and removed Keith’s helmet roughly. Keith looked at Lance who was now just looking at him enraged. 

“He’s breathing! He’s alive! We can save him!” Lance screamed hoping his friends wouldn’t listen to Keith. 

“Lance. Get off the ship.” Shiro whispered. 

“What! You can’t be serious!” 

“Get off the ship!” Shiro screamed making it a direct order. Lance’s face fell and he turned to Keith. Keith was in a fetal position with his broken arm held out away from his center. He coughed and gaged groaning in immense pain. 

Lance stared at the floor his face nearly horrified by what just happened. He reached out to Keith and turned his head to face him. Keith’s eyes were droopy but they looked at Lance curiously. Keith has bruises and cuts on his face and even a bloody nose.

“I’ll be back. I promise. I’ll be right back. Please…please just hang on.” Lance cried and bit his lip trying to keep the sobs in as Keith nodded. 

“I…will.” 

Before he could talk himself out of it Lance bent and kissed Keith on the mouth, hard, hoping that it wouldn’t have been the first and the last. 

Lance shook his head and he was back in the blue lion. Being forced to leave Keith behind broke something in Lance. He remembered looking back as he ran, helpless watching Keith endure the pain alone as Lance was able to run to safety. 

“Lance! Did you hear me!” 

“Sorry, no Shiro. What’s up.” 

“Don’t make this about revenge. Get Keith, get out. That’s it.” 

Lance shut off Shiro’s communicator signal and kept his eyes on the prison ship. His grip on the controls tightened and he bowed his head in anger. 

“I’m coming Keith.” 

In the cell the young alien was having a hard time waking Keith up. She began to grow frantic and started hitting the paladin to keep him awake. Keith’s eyes grew heavier and his breathing became even more labored. She finally gripped the broken arm tightly causing Keith to scream out in pain. 

“Please don’t die here. You can’t die here.” she whispered. Keith panted and was sweating when he looked at her. She tired to keep him awake through the pain. But he was just too tired, too injured to stay awake. The room’s sound suddenly became fuzzy, becoming a high pitch whistle. Keith saw the girl run from his side, he saw the explosion of the door but he didn’t hear it and saw the aliens fleeing. He then sees a blur of blue towering over him.

Keith felt something brush his bangs back and then began to lift his head from off the floor. He groaned and grunted at the movement but was surprised to find that he was laying against someone. Keith slowly looked up and to his astonishment it was Lance. Lance had sat on the floor and pulled Keith against him having him lean against his chest. 

“L-La-“ 

“Keith! Keith I’m here! I gotcha, buddy just hang on a little longer.” 

“La-…” Lance contacted the others and gave them his location explaining that Keith was alive. The others cheered and Lance waited eagerly to see them. 

“Too tired…” 

“No don’t you sleep. Don’t close your eyes! You waited almost a full day for us! You can’t do this now!” Lance allowed the tears to freely fall. He felt that he had no one to blame but himself. Maybe if he had stayed, maybe if the one injured was him…

Keith reached out and lightly brushed his hand against Lance’s face. Lance caught the hand and held it close looking at Keith with such pain. 

“Y-you came back.”

“I couldn’t leave you here…” 

Keith smiled and whispered, “Kiss me again…”

Lance smiled warmly through the tears and nodded. He stroked Keith’s face and leaned down to kiss him again. This time Keith raised his hand and ran it through Lance’s hair holding him in place to make the kiss last longer. 

Breaking apart Keith slumped against Lance and his breathing stopped. 

“What…What no! No! No no no no no! Keith! Keith wake up! Keith!” Lance shook him attempting to wake up but Keith didn’t respond. He brought up the paladin’s chest to his ear and he tried to find a heart beat but none came. 

“…No..No god please. Please don’t leave me…Please.” Lance broke into hysterics and wrapped his arms around Keith’s shoulders. He hugged the paladin close to him burying his face into his hair taking in the scent. He cried his heart out into Keith’s hair wishing he’d been faster, hating himself for leaving, wishing it was him instead. 

“Keith!” Lance screamed and kept shaking him. He couldn’t accept this he couldn’t.

“Keith! Keith, damnit wake up! Wake up and talk to me! Keith!” Lance screamed out in agony. There was nothing that was going to fix this. His heart was shattered and his guilt began to surface. 

 

The paladins rushed in and Pidge gasped in horror. Hunk rushed over to Lance and placed his hands on his shoulders. Hunk looked down at Keith with his eyes wide and tears spilled out. Pidge rushed over and kneeled by Lance wrapping their arm around his waist and placing her hand on his arm the clung to Keith’s body. Shiro bowed his head and took a knee next to them placing his hand over Keith’s heart. 

“Shiro! Please we have to do something!” Lance screamed clutching Keith close and hugging him tightly. Shiro looked at him and shook his head slowly and silently. 

“Please…this is all my fault…We..I…”

“Lance…Lance you have to say goodbye.” Shiro whispered. Lance shook his head and cried harder. Hunk dropped to his knees and hugged Lance and Keith. Pidge joined and the two of them joined Lance crying over Keith. Shiro bowed his head as silent tears started to fall. 

Back on the ship Keith’s body was placed in a protective pod for a burial back on Earth. Even with the war they needed to give their friend a proper send off. Standing outside Lance watched the sun set and the stars appear. A mixture of galaxies and planets decorated the skies. He cried silently, just letting the tears fall without attempting to brush them away. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he grew impatient. He wanted to be left alone. 

“Shiro! I just want to-“ He looked over and next to him stood Keith. Keith smiled at him warmly and Lance backed away. 

“What is-What is this.”

Keith smiled, touched Lance’s face and wiped away his tear. Lance reached up slowly and cautiously touching Keith’s hand. He felt a warm presence but his hand went through Keith’s. 

“I would never leave you… ” Keith smiled. Lance smiled back slowly and he bowed his head in understanding. Keith turned and looked out towards the final view of the sun with Lance doing the same. Lance smiled through the tears and Keith disappeared with the sun. 

Suddenly Lance was surrounded by his friends. Pidge hugged his arm, Hunk threw his arm around his shoulders and Shiro placed his hand on his shoulder. Allura and Coran stood to their left and smiled at Lance. Lance took in a deep breath and together they stood looking out into the distance.


End file.
